1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device for receiving a memorandum board for a telephone. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for receiving a memorandum board on which a plurality of data such as telephone numbers or the like are noted by writing or an equivalent operation so as to allow a telephone to be readily used by a user such that the whole memorandum board including a handle can entirely be received in the region below the bottom surface of the telephone with the user's fingers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a telephone is provided with a memorandum board which can slidably move in the forward/rearward direction along guide grooves in the region below the bottom surface of the telephone. The memorandum board is firmly held at one of two positions, i.e., an operative position in which a display surface of the memorandum board is pulled forward of the bottom surface of the telephone so as to allow a plurality of data such as telephone numbers or the like to be visually recognized by a user and an inoperative position in which the display surface is received in the region below the bottom surface of the telephone while a handle projecting outward of the memorandum board is still exposed to the outside.
To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a typical conventional device for receiving a memorandum board for a telephone will briefly be described below with reference to FIG. 8 to FIG. 11.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a memorandum board employable for the conventional device. The memorandum board, designated by reference numeral 1, includes two engagement projections 3 in the vicinity of the rear end thereof. In addition, the memorandum board 1 includes a handle 4 at the foremost end thereof so as to allow the memorandum board 1 to be pulled forward of the telephone 2 by the user's fingers. A display surface 5 having a plurality of data such as telephone numbers or the like noted thereon is arranged in the region between the engagement projections 3 and the handle 4. Further, the memorandum board 1 includes on both sides thereof guide portions 6 the thickness of each of which is dimensioned less than a thickness of the memorandum board 1.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the conventional device which illustrates that the memorandum board 1 slides in a plane which contacts a bottom plate 7 of the telephone 2. The bottom plate 7 is formed with a pair of guide grooves 8 so as to allow the guide portions 6 of the memorandum board 1 to slidably move along the guide grooves 8.
FIG. 10 is a sectional side view of the conventional device. As is apparent from the drawing, a recessed portion 9 is formed on the lower surface of the bottom plate 7. In addition, a first engagement groove 11, adapted to be engaged with an engagement projection 3 on the memorandom 1, is formed on the bottom surface of the telephone 2 in the vicinity of the fore end of the recessed portion 9. The first engagement groove 11 serves to hold the memorandum board 1 in the operative state wherein the memorandum board 1 is pulled in the forward direction with a user's fingers, when engagement groove II is engaged with the engagement projection 3. Additionally, a second engagement groove 13 is formed on the bottom surface of the telephone 2 in the vicinity of the rear end of the recessed portion 9. The second engagement groove 13 serves to hold the memorandum board 1 in the intermediate state wherein the memorandum board 1 is intermediately received in the region below the bottom plate 7 of the telephone 2 while the handle 4 is still exposed to movement of the board 1 to a position in which outside. Further, a projection 14 for restricting the memorandum board 1 is received in the region below the bottom surface of the telephone 2 is formed on a bottom plate 7 of the telephone 2 at the position behind the second engagement groove 13. When the memorandum board 1 is received in the region below the bottom plate 7 of the telephone 2 in the intermediate state, the fore end of the memorandum board 1 comes in contact with the projection 14 for the purpose of positional restriction.
While the memorandum board 1 is pulled in the forward direction with user's fingers, the projection 3 is brought into engagement with the first engagement groove 11, whereby the memorandum board 1 is firmly held in the operative state.
FIG. 11 is a sectional side view of the conventional device which illustrates that the memorandum board 1 is intermediately received in the region below the bottom plate 7 of the telephone 2. While the memorandum board 1 is received in the intermediate state in that way, the rear end of the memorandum board 1 comes in contact with the projection 14. This prevents the memorandum board 1 from being excessively displaced in the region below the bottom plate 7 of the telephone 2. At this time, the engagement projection 3 on the memorandum board 1 is brought in engagement with the second engagement groove 13. This prevents the memorandum board 1 from being undesirably disengaged from the telephone 2 due to falling-down of the memorandum board 1.
However, it has been found that the conventional device constructed in the above-described manner has a problem that the handle is damaged or broken not only during normal usage but also during a packing operation, a transporting operation, or the like, since the handle is still projected outward of the telephone when the memorandum board is received in the region below the bottom plate of the telephone in the inoperative state. Another problem is that a packing container required for transportation is dimensioned larger than a size set to a space required for transportation of the telephone only, resulting in a space required for transportation and a transportation cost being increased substantially. If the telephone and the memorandum board are separately packed, this leads to another problem that a packing operation is unavoidably performed in a complicated manner.